Good morning gang! As I promised, there are some great guest posts on the way this week which will range in topics from food to workouts. Hopefully yesterday’s booty busting workout has you ready to mix up your workout while today’s post will leave you with some healthy inspiration.
Thank you so much for all your kind comments and warm thoughts regarding my Papa’s passing. It was been a very draining week thus far but I’ve been so thankful to be here to support my mom and family. Who knew there was so much to do?! Without further adieu, I’ll turn it over to Gretchen, my hilarious DC blogger diva who has a knack not only for delicious food but fun, inspired photography.
Hey there, healthy & happier folks! My name is Gretchen and I blog about life, my love of food, and my 60-pound (so far!) weight loss over at Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen!
As mentioned, I am an avid lover of food (hence the necessity to start a weight loss blog in the first place, haha), and am always trying to find a way to balance life’s necessary indulgences with a healthy lifestyle. Diets that deprive you of certain dishes or ingredients in the name of "health" never work, in my opinion. It takes an approach of moderation and balance in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle when it comes to food! One of my favorite ways to do this is to "healthify" some of my favorite foods with natural ingredients — we’re not just talking about swapping out sugar for Splenda here.
By keeping a few healthy item swaps in my back pocket, I’m able to eat more of my favorite foods without any fallout. The following recipes take advantage of these easy ingredient replacements to create final dishes that are just as decadent as the originals with far less fat and calories.
Chicken salad is a deli favorite of mine, but it’s usually dripped with mayo and goodness knows what else. My recipe for healthy chicken salad uses lean chicken breast and a dressing that includes plain, nonfat Greek yogurt (which tastes just like sour cream!) instead of mayonnaise. It’s also full of veggies to pack an extra healthy punch! It tastes great on its own as well as between two slices of bread. Yum!
I make no secret of the fact that potatoes are my true weakness. Baked, fried, au gratin, you name it, I love ’em all, but my hands-down favorite has always been mashed. Mashed potatoes are not generally known for being low on the caloric spectrum, however, with all the butter and cream (otherwise known as "deliciousness") that usually goes into them. My recipe for Roasted Garlic Whipped Potatoes replaces all of that with roasted garlic and a little bit of heart-healthy olive oil instead. This dish turns out so creamy and decadent, you’ll never believe there’s no butter in there! It’s my best excuse for eating mashed potatoes on days other than Thanksgiving.
No healthy recipe repertoire would be complete without at least one dessert in there! This easy, no-bake recipe for chocolate crème pie uses silken tofu as its secret ingredient that packs in a whopping 8 grams of protein per slice. Don’t balk at the thought of putting tofu in a dessert — you really can’t taste it at all! All that you end up with is creamy, dreamy, chocolatey bliss with a whole lot of nutrition behind it. So there you have it! Three recipes that make use of healthy ingredient swaps and don’t take away from the taste, texture, or general indulgence of each dish. Experiment by creating your own "healthified" recipes, and enjoy your favorite dishes without that extra side of guilt!
Last night was quite an adjustment. When I walked through the door at 7pm, there was no delicious aroma or a friendly face greeting me. Instead, the house was dark and the only light was the bathroom light we forgot to turn of that morning.
Yesterday, Bo started his new job. Evenings of home cooked meals which took hours to prepare were quickly forgotten. While the house was still neat, my week’s errand list still remained untouched on the counter.
Instead of missing the dinners and aroma, I decided to role my sleeves up and make my husband proud. Dining alone is not an excuse to be lazy and resort to deliver, cereal, and soup. Sometimes cooking alone can be relaxing, therapeutic, and enjoyable.
However, failing at your first attempt is no way to find inspiration. Therefore, I chose to make my favorite easy dinner last night. This main course is a perfect way to entertain a new love interest, impress your next door neighbor, or bring a smile to your roommate or significant other’s face when they smell the aroma. It takes only a few minutes of preparation but can result in at least two days worth of food!
2. Unwrap chicken and remove giblets from chicken cavity. The giblets should be in a bag and easy to remove. After discarding the giblet bag, thoroughly rinse the chicken with cold water, inside and out. Dry the chicken using an old towel or paper towel, careful to dry both the inside cavity and under the skin folds.
3. Place the onion, lemon, garlic in the cavity of the chicken. Salt and pepper the inside cavity with more seasoning than you believe necessary. It is almost impossible to over season! 4. Truss (tie) the legs together with kitchen string, mostly closing the cavity opening. Tuck the wings under so the tips overlap the breast and tie in place, securing the wings to the body. I highly reference using this video to help with trussing the bird.
5. Once the chicken is tightly trussed, give it a good massage with the oil. Cover the entire bird, remembering to flip it over during the process. Follow with a healthy dose of salt and pepper all over, being careful not to over season on this step.
6. Place the chicken in your roasting pan or cast iron skillet, breast side down.
7. Roast the chicken for 25 minutes. Flip the chicken breast-side up and continue roasting, approximately 1 1/4 hours. I use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, removing the chicken when it registers between 170-175 degrees.
8. Let rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.
9. Enjoy!
Question: What is your favorite side to enjoy with a simple dish like roast chicken?
While we shopped at Eataly and The Union Square Farmer’s Market yesterday, Bo and I were inspired to cook in versus going out. The fresh summer vegetables inspired us to create a summer menu from a mix of Inn at Little Washington recipes.
A few years ago, Bo and I discovered The Inn At Little Washington cookbook while visiting my aunt and uncle in Vermont. Her copy of the cookbook was loved and worn as she references it almost weekly for it’s delicious Southern dishes with a new American and fresh food spin.
Check out those amazing pictures!
Bo wants to cook as much as possible between now and August 15th. Instead of just cooking for ourselves, we decided that having a guest would make for a perfect Saturday night.
Theodora and Bailey were our dinner date last night!
While Bo started in the kitchen I organized the house and made sure we had a nice dining area, fit for a delicious dinner.
Our kitchen looked like our own farmers market! There were fresh fruits and vegetables bringing color to every nook and cranny of our kitchen! A Fresh Summer Feast Menu
Two dozen fresh Wellfleet oysters drizzled with fresh lemon juice
Garden Tomato Salad with Grilled Red Onions, Fresh Basil, and Asiago Cheese
Lightly fried Snapper
Silver Corn Sauté
Unfortunately, none of these recipes are featured online but they do have some of their popular recipes on their site.
If you’re looking for a new cookbook to add to your collection, I can’t recommend this one enough. It is a cookbook that even a beginner chef can appreciate as it takes everyday ingredients, many of which are in your pantry or kitchen, to new levels. They are delicious straightforward dishes which will remind you why it eating seasonal and local meals tastes so right.
The entire meal, from start to finish, was delicious, fresh, and left us satiated.
It was such a pleasure sharing our Saturday tradition with a friend..
